The present invention pertains to aspirating devices and more particularly pertains to an aspirator for collection, containment and treatment of potentially hazardous flowable materials.
Many flowable materials, blood, body fluids and industrial waste products, for example, once believed to be harmless to human beings are now known to be extremely hazardous. Therefore, handling and treatment of these materials requires as little contact with the surrounding environment as possible. This is especially true when dealing with body fluids from persons having AIDS in the health care and undertaking industries.
An aspirating device for collecting hazardous flowable materials is composed of a hollow container with an inlet and a motorized pump for drawing the fluid into the container. It is often highly desirable to provide an appropriate amount of disinfectant, neutralizing agent, or germicide in the container for neutralization or other treatment of the aspirated fluid. Aspirators currently in use bare the fluid being mixed with water or other flushing fluid and both fluids are circulated through a pump and then into a container. This presents a problem in that coagulums may tend to build up in the pump and cause the pump to aspirate or discharge at fluctuating pressures that may cause the pump to rust and the motor driving the pump to overheat and break down. Additionally, fluctuations in pressure can cause accidental spillage endangering the health of all persons in the vicinity.
Sometimes, hazardous flowable materials or treated hazardous flowable materials have been discharged into storm sewers, rivers, and the like.
Aspirating devices for hazardous flowable materials now must be self contained for convenient and safe transport of hazardous fluid for proper disposal. This is especially true in the United States in light of the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States Government. In the past, aspirator devices have failed to provide a safe device for aspirating potentially hazardous flowable materials, including body and arterial fluid, and treating and discharging the same in accordance with EPA requirements without exposure to human beings.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system which can be utilized in an improved aspirating method which can be used to embalm a corpse.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system whereby the potentially hazardous flowable material does not circulate through the pump.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system which can provide a relatively constant vacuum and discharge pressures.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system which meets all EPA hazardous material requirements.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system that is odorless, reduced noise, self-contained and conveniently transportable.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system in which the potentially hazardous flowable material can be collected, treated, contained and disposed without exposure to human beings.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system which has a containment vessel having a volume suitable for containing the potentially hazardous flowable material of a number of aspirations before needing to be emptied and cleaned.
It is finally highly desirable to provide an improved containment and treatment aspirator system which meets all of above desired features.